Blank feed for slitters



BLANK FEED FOR SLITTERS Filed June 12 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 26, 1923. 459,758

c. M. SYMONDS BLANK FEED FOR SLITTERS Filed June 12 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 26, 1923. Msww C.-M. SYMONDS BLANK FEED FOR SLITTEHS Filed June 12, 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 v ull I 'II" N y W v 70/ v J'rwevzibr:

June 26, 1923.

. 111,459 c. M. SYMONDS BLANK FEED FOR SLITTERS iled June 12 9 e Sheet et 4 June 26, 1923. 13,459,75fi

C. M. SYMONDS BLANK FEED FOR SLITTERS Filed June 12, 1919 6 sheets-Sheet 5 June 26, 1923.

3,459,758 c. M. SYMONDS BLANK FEED FOR SLfTTERS Filed June 12 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented'dune 2&1923.

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insane rut BLANK FEED FOR SLI'I'TEES.

Application filed June 12,

To all whom it may concem' Be it known that I, CLARENCE M. SY- MoNns, a citizen of the United States, residing in San Anselmo, in the county of Madin a and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Blank Feed V tary cutters of a slitting machine adapted to divide thesheet or blank into a-number of smaller parts of predetermined dimensions.

A rincipal object of my invention is the 'PIOVlSlOIl of an automatic feed that can be utilized to feed metal sheets quickly and accurately to slitters or other like apparatus and this without the danger of feeding more than a single sheet at each feeding operation.

' feeding device of this character which will select the sheets from a stack and deliverthem accurately into position, preferably by gravity, for engagement by a reciprocating feed member which to rotary cutters or other apparatus.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such an apparatus which will consist of a fewand simple parts not likely to require frequent repair of replacement,

and durable and accurate in operation.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a referred embodiment thereof. ferring to the drawings, Figure l'is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying my present. invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken from the right hand side. v

Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof taken .from the left hand side. I

Fig, 5' is a vertical section taken centrally of the machine, and i Figs. 6-13 are detail views as will .be later ex lained. glitters for tin plate and other metal,

' A still further object of the invention is a feeds the sheets directly sheet lifting the sheet b engaging and holdin 1919. Serial No. 303,663.

sheets have usually inthe pastcomprised a framework 11 carrying at its top a bed 12,

at the rear of which are mounted two cutter carrying shafts 13 fixed in bearing wings or arts 14, each of said cutter carrying sha ts being provided with a plurality of.

rolls15 arranged in co-operating airs upon the two shafts, each air of ro lshaving co-operating cutting lades to shear the sheet. lntermeshing pinions 16 and 17 are mounted upon the shafts, and one of them, the lower, is provided with fast and loose pulleys 18 and 19. i V

In the present embodiment of my invention the sheets to be fed to the cutters are arranged in stack formation mounted in a stack holder above the bed. This stack holder 1s 1n the present instance adapted to hold the stack of sheets in ba'ckwardly inclined position and resting edgewise upon a bottom support 21 (Fig. 5) having upwardly extending lips 22 at the rear to prevent the lowermost edge of the end sheet from slip-. ping from the support 21. The bottom of the stack holder is carried in a pair of arms 23 located one at each side of the machine and having a pin and slot connection 24 for securing the bottom in adjusted position.

. Side guides 25 are provided upon upwardly extending brackets 26 (Fig. 2). The stac holder is supported in a pair of upwardly extending side frame arms 27 which form the support for the stackholder and a selparatin mechanism to be presently descri and 1nto which side arms the pins of the pin and slot connections 24 are secured.

The separating mechanism is-provided to select the sheets' singly from the stack and to deliver them toward the bed, permitting them to drop thereon by gravity. This mechanism comprises means for engaging beneath the bottom edge of the rearmost exerted on this bottom e go, and devices for the upper edge of e sheet selecting and the lifted sheet unti lifting member is withdrawn and its lower upward pressure edge is permitted to move away from the stack, whereupon the holding devices release the sheet so thatit may fall'towa'rd the bed.

The lower rear edge of the stack rests against the lips 22 which lips have open spaces'between them, and the bottom member 21 of the stack holder is cut away back of these spaces between the lips, as indicated at 31 in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and in full lines in Fig. 11. Two bearings 32 (Fig. 2) are provided on the rear side or back edge of the upwardly extending side arms 27 and the frame, and in these hearings is hung an is connected by a similar oscillating or swinging frame 33 extending down beneath the bearings to adjacent the lower edge of the stack and having outwardly extending pivots 34. The frame has mounted in it a reciprocating arm 35 pivoted to a link 36 by pivot pin 37, which link will be later herein more fully described. A cross bar 38 is carried in the lower end of the arm or member 35, and it in turn' is provided with a number of hooks or lifting fingers 39 (Fig. 11) adapted to engage beneath the lower edge of the rearmost sheet and upon upward movement of the link 36 to pull up upon the bottom sheet moving it transversely of the stack.

Each of these fingers (best shown in Figs. 9 and 10 which are enlarged details thereof) consists of a hardened hook member 41 held by a screw 42 in the bar 38 and a gage block 43- held b prevent t e engagement of more than a single sheet at each operation.

The n per edge of this sheet enters into slots 45 Fig. 5) in the top member 46 of the stack holder which is adjustably carried by screws 47 (Fig. 2) in lugs 48 at the tops of the arms 27. At the center the material of the top member 46 is interrupted to accommodatea jaw or sheet holdin device 48 (shown in detail in Figs. 12 and 13). jaw device consists of part 49 pivoted at 51 at the rear of the space and pressed outwardly slightly by a spring 52. A second part 53 is fastened by screws 54 and the two opening 55 greater than the width of one sheet and less than the Said opening communicates with a beveled forward face 56 of the two parts and acts to retain the upper edge of a sheet pushed upbetween them by the fingers 39 already mentioned. This aw holds the sheet in lifted position until the hook member 41 may be withdrawn and the sheet down as will be presently described. sheet as it is elevated is shoved into the jaw and is held there by the 'aw pressing it against the forward edge 0 the slots 45.

The lower shaft 13 carries at itsend 0pposite the pulleys a sprocket wheel 57 which sprocket wheel 58 upon a cross shaft 59 by a sprocket chain 61. The shaft is embraced by yoke member 62 upon the lower end of a connecting or pitman rod 63 (Fig. 1). This yoke member has a roller orpin 64 working in a cam slot in the side of .the sprocket wheel 58. The upper end of the pitmanis connected with an arm 65 upon a cross shaft 66 mounted upon the upper ends of the side arms 27.

The

a screw 44 in the hook part to This upon its forward face parts provide a jaw width of two sheets.' 7

the e ectors are operated, as

pushed the cutters and upon the This shaft 66 is provided with two arms or members 67 (Fig. 2) pivotally connected at 68 with threaded rods 69 attached at their lower ends to movable sheet ejectors 71, so that rotation of the shaft 13 moves the ejectors as will be presently described. v The shaft 66 also is provided with an arm 72 pivotally connected at 73 with the upper end of the link 36 connected to the slide 35, so that oscillation of the shaft also lifts the member 38' and its hooks at the proper time. When the plate is lifted its upper edge is thrust into the jaw and the frame 33 is swung backwardl This movement of the frame is accomplished by a pitman 75 hav ing a yoke member-76 embracing the shaft 59 and having a cam connection with the cam member 77 mounted upon the end of the shaft 59 at the ot er side of themachine (Fig. 4).. The pitman or connecting rod 75 is connected at 78 with an arm 79, shown perhaps best in Fig.4. This arm is fast upon the right hand pivot 34 of the swinglng frame, and the parts, are so timed in their action that the hooks are swung back while the sheet is held in lifted position. This movement results in disengagement of the hooks from the sheet and leaves the sheet suspended in the jaw. Thereafter upon further movement of the parts of the apparatus, the ejectors which will now be described are operated, and the sheet is permitted to drop.-

As will be observed from the drawing, the ejectors are two in number and one of them is shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 7 and 8. Each consists of 81 carrying a pivoted pusher 82 having a beveled face 83. At the top of said beveled face a shoulder 84 is to the pivoted pusher 86" presses the push a block 85. A

spring er to the front.

When I previously described, they push the sheet down. out of the aw by engaging its upper edge under the shoulders 84. The slide also carries an outwardly extending sheet registering finger 86 on an adjustable slide block 87, said block being engaged by a screw 88 and held in an adjusted relation by a set scew 89. In dropping, the sheet falls upon a curved guide sheet 91 extending across between said arms of the frame extension and curved as shown in Fig. 5 to direct the falling sheet away from the rolls into substantially horizontal position and upon a feed member 92 mounted to reciprocate upon the bed of the machine, having at its back end an upright flange'or stop 93. The sheet falls in front of stop 93 and rests upon the feed member 92 which, as will be seen, reciprocates on the bed. The upper face of the feed'member is in line with the pass between reciprocation toward left viewing Fig. 5, the sheet is pushed provided by securing a vertical slide a beneath the inclined curved guide wall 91 to cutting position, Reciprocation of the feeding member is produced from a shaft 101 (Fig. 4) carrying at one side an arm 102 which is connected by a pitman 103 with a crank pin 104 upon gear 16. The

shaft 101 also has an arm 105 connected by a vlink 106 with a lug 107 upon the lower" face of the feed member and extending through a suitably formed slot 108 in the bed of the machine. The action of the several parts is so timed that after a sheet has dropped down into position the feed member is advanced toward the rolls and pushes the sheet between them, the rolls themselves advancing it as the cutting is performed. Side guides 109 are provided at each side to. cause the sheet to accurately enterbetween the cutters. i

It will, from the foregoing, be apparent that the stackof sheets are placed in the stack holder on edge but in slightly incline position. The hooks-of the movable frame engage beneath the rearmost ,or lowermost sheet lifting it into engagement with the jaws and swinging backleave the sheet in the jaws until the ejectors cause it to drop upward upon the bed, thereafter the pusher 82 of its attendant advantages will be into position on the feed member.

The operation of the apparatus may be briefly expressed as follows: The stack of sheets are placed on edge in the stack holder and rest upon the support 22. The shaft and imparts movement through the sprocket wheels 57 and 58 and chain 61 to-the shaft 59. Rotation of this shaft produces periodic oscillation ofthe swinging frame33 up to the stack and back away from it. Each time the frame reaches the stack the fingers 39 are' lifted by timed operation of shaft 66 driven by'a cam onthe sprocket wheel 58; This lifting of the fingers moves the upper edge K of the sheet into the slot 45, which by reason of its dimension insures against the movement of more than a single sheet. The rearward swing of the frame carriesthe lower edge of the sheet away from the stack and in position to, drop down pushes thesheet out and it drops down upon the guide 91 which deflects it toward the frontfof' the machine and against the advancing slide 93. From this position it is fed between the cutters bythe slide 93 operated through lin 106, and crank arm 105 on shaftlOl, this shaft being connected by connecting rod 103 with the pinion '16.

It is thought that vthe invention andmany.

understood from the foregoing description, and

it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention or "sacrificing all. of its material advantages,

the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

1 claim: 1. The combination of slitting rolls, means for feeding sheets horizontally thereto, a stack holder above said rolls, means for lifting sheets edgewise upward from said stack holder and releasing them to drop edgewise by gravity, means for guiding the sheets downwardly and rearwardly to said horizontally feeding means so that the formerly top edges of the sheets are presented towards the slitting rolls, and actuating mechanism for operating said lifting means and horizontally feeding means and slitting rolls.

2. The combination of slitting rolls, means for feeding sheets horizontally thereto and having a stop 93, a stack holder above said rolls, means for lifting sheets edgewise upward from said stack holder and releasing them to drop edgewise by gravity, means for guiding the sheets downwardly and rearwardly ,to said horizontally. feeding means so that the formerly top edges of the sheets are presented towards the slitting rolls and actuating mechanism for operating said lifting means and horizontally feeding means and slitting rolls;

3. The combination of a reciprocating bed, a stop thereon to engage the rear edge of a metal sheet to be fed by the advance of said bed, slitting rolls in line with the top of said bed and adapted to grasp and advance the sheet.'an'd having cutters for slitting the same, a sheet guide above said bed inclined downward and rearward towards said stop, a stack holder for metal sheets arranged above said bed and inclined downwardly and rearwardly, a reciprocating feeder for lifting sheets from said stackholder and depositing them successively on saidsheet guide, whereby they shoot rearward by gravity against said stop, and actuating mechanism having means for reciproeating said feeder and means for reciprocating said bed, and means for rotating said rolls.

4. The combination of a reciprocating bed, a stop thereon to engage the rear edge of a metal sheet to be fed by the advance of said bed, slitting rolls in line with the top of said bed and adapted to grasp and advance the sheet and having cutters for slitting the same, a sheet guide above said bed inclined downward and rearward towards said stop,-and having a forwardly inclined lower edge near saidqbed, a stack holder for metal sheets arranged above'said bed and inclined downwardly and rearwardly, a reciprocating feeder for lifting sheets from said stackholder and depositing them successively on said sheet guide, whereby they shoot rearward by gravity against said stop,

and actuating mechanism having means for reciprocating said feeder and means for re- 5 ciprocating said bed, and said rolls. i '5. The combination of a reciprocating means for rotating bed, a stop thereon to engage the rear edge I of a metal sheet to be fed by the advance of said bed, of said bed and adapted to grasp and advance the sheet and having cutters for slitting the same, a sheet guide above said bed inclined downward and rearward towards said stop, a stack holder for metal sheets arranged above said bed and inclined down-v wardly and. rearwardly, a reciprocatin feeder for lifting sheets from said 'stac slitting rolls in line with the top holder and depositing them successively on 15 said sheet guide, whereby they shoot rearward by gravity against said stop, a power shaft carrying one of said rolls, a counter shaft carrying the other roll and geared with said power shaft, a rock shaft having 20 crank arms connected respectively with said bed and with one of said rolls, a rotary counter shaft having reciprocating and 0scillating connections for operating said lift ing feeder, and means for driving said 2 counter shaft from said power shaft.

CLARENCE M. sYMoNDs. 

